King Arthur - Kid Classics: The Illustrated Just-for-Kids Edition

by Thomas Malory, Margaret Novak (Editor), Maïté Schmitt (Illustrations)

Now the enchanting tales of King Arthur’s Camelot are an illustrated chapter storybook perfect for young readers! Thousands upon thousands of years ago, Welsh and English folklore told of an unusually brave, kind, and fair leader named King Arthur who protected his people from Saxon invaders in the fifth century. Medieval author Sir Thomas Malory collected, translated, and retold the folktales of King Arthur in his 1485 book Le Morte d’Arthur, which remains one of the most famous books of Arthurian legend to this day. Kid King Arthur is the thrilling new just-for-kids edition of the classic tales of King Arthur, abridged and retold for modern kids while staying true to the original Arthurian legends. It’s a story you can’t put Merlin guides young Arthur Pendragon to claim his throne as King of the Britons by pulling the sword Excalibur from the stone, and fantastical adventures ensue! Arthur nearly loses Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake, befriends Sir Lancelot, falls in love with Guinevere, and calls the best knights of the realm to join him at the Round Table, a place where fairness is paramount, and everyone has an equal say. With page after page of captivating illustrations, this magical hardcover will be the fought over favorite in your home and schoolroom! This just-for-kids retelling of Sir Thomas Malory classic King Arthur :

Genres: Arthurian

112 pages, Hardcover

Published March 5, 2024

About the author

From French sources, Sir Thomas Malory, English writer in floruit in 1470, adapted Le Morte d'Arthur , a collection of romances, which William Caxton published in 1485.

From original tales such as the Vulgate Cycle , Sir Thomas Malory, an imprisoned knight in the fifteenth century, meanwhile compiled and translated the tales, which we know as the legend of king.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_...

Reviews

[Reading Through the Lists · Rating 2 out of 5]

It may seem pedantic to quibble over a children’s adaptation of King Arthur, but I am someone who is passionate about both Arthuriana (particularly Malory’s Arthuriana) and children’s adaptations, so if anyone is going to quibble with Applesauce Press over the decisions made here, it is I.

To begin, it is a bold move to list Sir Thomas Malory as the author of this book and then include a chapter on “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” which is not found in Malory. And then to not not include the ending of the Morte D'Arthur which does belong to Malory? Why?? Despite these massive alterations, this adaptation remains weirdly faithful in small (and I would say trivial) details from the first quarter of the Morte, like including the list of the kings who initially oppose Arthur’s reign. Why include this and not, say, the fight between Arthur and Accolon? Or the scene where Morgan disguises her followers in the shape of stones?

I assume these editorial decisions were designed to make the Morte more child friendly, but this comes at the cost of stripping out any significance or poignancy to the whole Arthrurian legend. Any child who graduates from this version to Roger Lancelyn Green or Howard Pyle (or Malory himself) will be in for a shock (and also a much better story).

The writing style for this edition also feels totally devoid of personality and retains none of the humor or charm of Malory; it feels like you are reading someone’s summary of Malory, with no dialogue or character traits or anything that makes Arthur fun to read. I can’t see any kids picking this up and then being gung-ho to discover more Arthuriana, which is a terrible shame, and one I can’t forgive.

Ideally, kids who pick up this King Arthur will simply pour over Maïté Schmitt’s charming illustrations and go off to find a better adaptation.

2.5 stars.

[Lisa Hernqvist]

Jag läste denna korta barn-version av legenderna om kung Artur och riddarna kring det runda bordet, för att bekanta mig med dessa historier.